Departure Of Love OneShot
by EnsorcelledFerret
Summary: A brief tale of the loss of a comrade, and the sadness that broke with the coming of dawn....


Date: 2-14-03  
  
Notes: Normal disclaimer stuff. I don't own this series, or characters. They are copyright to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, and other such related peoples. I make no monies, blah blah.. this is for entertainment purposes only.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Departure Of Love  
  
The wind whipped lightly at his hair, blowing the long silvery locks away from his face as he stared from his perch amid the branches of a leaf- barren tree. The night was almost silent, save for the occassional breech of sound by a passing night bird, or a lawless cricket invading the quiet air. The moon was heavy in the sky, the clouds sparsely displayed, and the stars showing through too few and far between.  
  
The Tetsusaiga felt extremely, and unusually, heavy in his hands, though he didn't pay the weight much attention. His amber/gold eyes were dulled, and his face was smudged with dirt. A look of unstability wavered over his features, and he teetered slightly where he stood. So heavy.. the Tetsusaiga felt so heavy...  
  
The branch groaned beneath his weight as he stepped forward, leaning into the empty air before him. A second passed, and he was falling in a controlled descent, downward in motion, until his feet landed heavily upon the ground. His mind was blurred, and heavyly sunken into sadness. Rage had long passed its breaking point, and now there was only sadness, grief.. and regret.  
  
Tetsusaiga's blade drooped to the ground as he stood, and slowly, he let his hand release its hilt grip. It fell with a clang to the ground, its untransformed length glinting softly in reflection to the moon above. He slowly let himself drop beside it, landing hard on his knees, skin scraping slightly against the cold ground through the torn leg of his clothing. He ignored the sharp pains, and let his eyes close.  
  
He hadn't been able to save her. With all the power he thought he had, he hadn't been able to save Kagome. Behind his closed lids, he could still see her face, smattered with blood, her eyes open wide, yet seeing nothing. If they had been shut, she might have looked as if she were sleeping, and maybe he would have been able to shake her away. But, regardless of what he wanted, the facts, cold and hard as they were, remained the same.  
  
Kagome was gone.  
  
He let his eyes open slowly, his lips parted a little as he turned their unfocused attention to the ground beneath him. It had been hours ago, and he, of course, had ran as fast as he could. If he could get away from it, maybe it would be as though it had never really happened. Maybe he could distance himself from it, and tomorrow he would awaken to find Kagome at his side, smiling at him. He wouldn't even have minded a few Sit commands if it meant having her back with him.  
  
How could he go back and face Miroku and the others.. .... how could he face them, knowing he had failed to protect Kagome, or the Shikon no Tama?  
  
That damned jewel. Bittered thoughts of the sparkling treasure brought to mind that the battle was not truly over. His worst enemy possessed their fragments, and in his hands also lay the guilt for Kagome's death.  
  
But what good would it do to avenge Kagome now? It wouldn't bring her back to him... it wouldn't bring her back...  
  
He closed his eyes again, and slowly allowed himself to sink to the ground as he slipped his arms tightly around himself. All this time, all this fighting... and for what? No jewel... no Kagome... nothing. Everything was so pointless, now. Everything was so stupid!  
  
He didn't cry.. he WOULDN'T cry.. not for himself, not for her...  
  
He lay there for what he felt was countless hours. The sun began to creep over the horizon, and he could hear the world of nature come alive all around him. He didn't care, though. A faint twitch of an ear at hearing his name being called in the distance. It was Miroku, by the sound of it. What would the amorous monk say when he finally found the little half demon, clothing torn, hands stained with Kagome's blood?  
  
He really didn't want to find out...  
  
He could hear the others calling out to him now, as well. He didn't reply, of course, but he heard them none the less. He lay there as the sun began to climb steadily higher, breaking the morning completely, and listened as the others approached closer.  
  
They would probably tell him to take her death in stride, to move on, and fight to regain what Kagome had fought so hard to protect.  
  
What did it matter, though? Without Kagome, his whole point of collecting the Shikon no Tama was wasted again. If he used it to turn full demon, he would surely slaughter his friends. There was no telling what affects it might have on him, mentally. And there was no point in using it to become human, especially if his demon enemies returned to slay them all.  
  
Useless... he felt so useless.. and lost.  
  
Kagome... 


End file.
